Electric heat-engine.



R. A. MITCHELL & F. A. EMERICK.

ELECTRIC HEAT ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1910.

1,063,824. Patented June 3, 1913.

wwnmm R. A. MITCHELL & F. A. BMERIGK.

ELECTRIC HEAT ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1010.

Patented June 3, 1913.

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REUBEN A. MITCHELL AND FRANK A. EMERICK, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC HEATJENGINE.

recesses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J'n n c 3;, 1913.

Application filed July 5,1910. Serial No. 570,417.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that we, lineman A. Nrrcn- ELL and Fawn i. l lnnuicu. citizens of the United States, residing at ()it (Ilitv. in the county of Venango and State of il ennsylvauia, have invented certain new and useful itDPt'O'VCtllQtll'S in Electric Heat-Engine and we do hereby declare the itollowing to be a :tfull. clear, and, exact. description ot the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it a 'ipertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in engines, and more particularly to engines which use expansive force of gaseous matter as the motive force.

The object. in view is the provision of means for intermittently heating air which is in free con'nnunication with a, piston for causing the expansion. of the air which will react on the piston tor n'ioving the same.

A further object in view is the arrangement in. an engine of means for using air over and over again from the original pressure by leating a part of the air and expai'iding the same, and then exhausting the expanded air into the unheated air at predetermined cycles.

A still further object of the invention is the arrangement in an engine having a cylinder and a piston, of an air chamber in proximity thereto and a cooling chamber around the air chamber together with an electrical heating devise arranged to heat. the air in the cylinder for expanding the same, after which it is exhausted into the compression chamber where the same is cooled.

Wit-h these and further objects in. view, the invention comprises certain novel constructions combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter 'tully described and claimed.

In the accompanying; drawings :Figure 1 is a longitiulinal. vertical section through an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through Fig. 1. on the line 2-2. Fig. 3 is a section through Fig. 2 on the line (y-53. Fig. *1. is a detail, fragmentary view of the means for (.zonneeting the regulator with the drive shaft.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates a cylinder which may be of any desired type tor accommodating a relatively long, hollow reciprocating piston 2 Piston 2 is connected with the piston rod 3 from which power is conveyed to power shaitt -11 through any usual or preitcrred means. Surrounding cylinder 1 is an air chamber 5 which is in turn surrounded by a water chamber 6. It will, :1 course, be understood that any other desired cooling medium other than water may be used for re ducing the air in chamber to the desired temperature. Chamber 5 is initially sup plied with compressed air in any preferred manner, as, for instance. through a valved supply pipe, such as is illustrated in Fig. 1. An exhaust. port 7 is :torn'ied in cylinder 1 approximately midway ot the length thereof communicating with chamber 5 sothat when the piston is at the rear end oi. its stroke the air in the cylinder 1 and chamber 5, may assume an equilibrium. A pipe or port 8 leads from one end of cylinder 1 to the other end thereof. and check valves 9 and 9 are provided therein tor controlling admission o't air From the rear end of the cylinder to the "Front end thereof and from chamber 5 to the rear end of the cylinder.

A. heating chamber 11 is arranged just beyond the front end of cylinder 1 and separated therefrom by a pair of spaced walls apertured as at for attording communication with cylinder 1. A valve or gate 12 is n'ovidcd for being moved across the ()I'XllllllQ'S or port. .10 by the actuation of a controlling screw 1.3 for at times cutting ott' cmnmunication between cylinder 1 and chamber 11. Arranged in heating chamber 11, are electrodes 1 and 15 between which a spark is established when it. is desired to heat; the air in chamber 11. These electrodes may be made of any desired material and are ren'iovably secured in sockets 16 and 17 so as to be easily replaced. Socket 17 is mounted upon a. rock shaft 18 which has secured thereto a crank 19 geared to shaft; 4- for oscillating the crank for shifting the electrode 1.5 for making and tweaking the circuit. whereby a spark is produced each time the electrode 15 contacts with and separates from electrode 1 1-. A packing box 20 is provided for rock shaft 18 so as to prevent the escape of pressure. The actuating gear ot' crank 19 is timed to cause a spark between electrodes 1 and 15 just as piston 2 arrives at the extreme of its forward movement.

ockct 16 oi electrode 14; is connected with a longitudinally movable shaft 21, which is also provided with a packing box 22. Pivotally engaging the outer end of shaft 21 is a link 23 which is in turn pivotally connected to a walking beam 24. Beam 24 is pivot-ally connected with a link 25 which pivotally engages a lever 26, which lever is fulcrumed upon a bearing 26 and is provided with a contact member or projectlon 27 at the end opposite link 25 for engaging the lower end 28 of a governor 29. The governor 29 is connected by a belt 30 in any usual or preferred manner with shaft 4. The governor 29 is designed to operate in the usual manner for raising and loweringthe end of lever 26 connected therewith. As will be evident, in instances of appreciable variations in speed, shaft 21 will thus be shifted toward or away from electrode 15 according to the variation whether a slowing downor a speeding up, and consequently varying the distance between electrode 1 1 and electrode 15, for varying the resultant sparking, whereby the speed of the engine is regulated. Increased speed of the piston will cause the electrodes to appro-ach and thus shorten the arc therebetween, proportionately reducing the intensity of the heat from such arc, and this approach may be carried to the extent of actual contact of the electrodes, upon which the are is totally discontinued, thus allowing the air-to cool until the speed decreases and the electrodes are again moved apart, and thus reestablish the arc with a resultant rise in temperature.

The cycles of operation may readily be followech from the foregoing, and may be traced as follows Piston 2 being at the front end of the cylinder 1, a spark is produced between electrodes 14 and 1 5 by the turning on of the electrical current by means not illustrated, the circuit of the cur-rent being of any preferred arrangement so as to include said. electrodes. Instantly upon the production of a spark, the heat acting to expand theair in chamber 11, causes, through the action of such expansion, piston 2 to travel rearwardly until its front end: passes port 7, said port havingbeen previously cov ereob after the starting of the piston, and at this point the hot compressed air expands through port 7 into cooling chamber 5 immediately following which the charge of cool air at the-rear of the piston is admitted past valve 9 into the front end of the cylinder, and piston 2 starts forward closing port 7 and seating valve 9. The advance of the piston compresses the fresh cool charge into chamber 11 until the piston arrives at the foremost point of its travel, whereupon electrodes 14 and 15. emit a. spark which heats the formerly cool air charge and, expanding the same, effects a repetition of thecycles statedi Obviously as piston 2 advances each time a. fresh charge of cool a'ir'is admitted past valve 9- in the rear of the piston, which charge is more or less compressed by the return of the piston and thus seeks admission to the front end of the cylinder and rapidly enters the same im- 7 mediately after the hot charge has exhausted through port 7. Obviously, fluid medium other than air may be utilized, and the air or other medium (which for convenience will be called air in the appended claims) may be more or less compressed when in its most condensed or coo-led state, and we find a higher degree of efiiciency is obtained when the air is somewhat com pressed when initially introduced to the cylinder and chambers.

It will be observed that the device discloses the application of a new principle or a combination of principles hitherto unused, whereby a reservoir of compressed air remaining stationary is utilized without any exhaust whatever into or against atmospheric pressure or into any vacuum, but exhausts only into the reservoir itself, a power beingderived from the expansion of the compressed air by heating successively and cooling successively.

What we claim is:

1. In combination, a cylinder, a piston arranged therein, the cylinder being formed with a plurality of ports, an air reservoir surrounding said'cylinder and communicating therewith by one of said ports, a heat ing chamber arranged in proximity to said cylinder and communicating therewith through one of said ports, and means for intermittently heating air in said heating chamber and expanding the same into said cylinder.

2. In combination, a cylinder, a reciprocating piston arrangedtherein, an air chamber surrounding said cylinder and communicating therewith substantially centrally thereof, a cooling chamber surrounding said air chamber, a heating chamber in communication with one end of said cylinder, and electrical heating means for heating the air in said heating chamber, and means for intermittently causing said electrical heating means to heat the air in said heating chamber.

3. In combination, a cylinder, a piston arranged in said cylinder, an air chamber surrounding said cylinder and in communication therewith, a cooling chamber surrounding said air chamber, a heating chamber, a pair of electrodes arranged in said heating chamber, means for intermittently causing said electrodes to'heat the air in said heating chamber, and regulating means for varying the distance between said electrodes for controlling the heat generated thereby.

1-. In combination, a cylinder, a piston adapted to reciprocate in said cylinder, an air chamber surrounding said cylinder and in communication therewith, a plurality of valve, adaplod l'o porn'iili tho oslahlishing of an cduililnriuln in said rylindur on both sides o'l. said piston when the piston is at one (lid of said 'lindor, moans l or luxaling, the air in one 0nd of said cylinder for ox panding lhc same, and a cooling ohanlhor surro-inuliz'ig said air rhamhnr.

5. in combination, a rylindor, a rooipro- 'aling pisl'on arranged lhrrcin, an air chainher surrouiuling said rylindcr and ronnnuni' rating l'horrwilh suhsl'antially ronl'rally [hi-woof. a cooling rhanihor surrounding said air clnrnilarr a healing rhanihcr in communication with ouo end ol, said oylindvr, moans 'lior oroal'ing, an. arr for healing air in said healing rhainhor, and a govrrnor aolualrd by [he piston and ronnurlrd lor 'arying tho length of said are relative to the speed of lhe piston.

(3. In oonihinalion, a r 'lindur, a pislon ar ranged l hrroin, the uvlindor living provided with a. plurality ol ports an air rusorvoir surroumlingi said cylindw and ronununioah ion lhrrowilh hr onr o'l' -aid ports a h \al'ing (:hanihrr arrangod in proxiinily lo said rylindor and ronnnuuir: ling thorowith through onn ol? said ports moans for interniillonlly h :lllllfl air in said h *aling rhanihrr and rxpanding lho saino into said (a lindor and a rooliug jarkri' surroululing said air rosvrvoir.

In lostimony whrrrol we allix our signw llll'ls in prrsrurr ol lin'o \\'il;nrsr-;rs.

Wit nrssrs:

( 1. Tao'n'r, I). A. H'rARoNInVICZ.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

